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So Much Data - So Little Time

Just when I was feeling so up on all forms of electronic communication, Lois Creamer, social media expert, asked me, "Are you attending the Tweet Chat tonight? You know, the hashtag-speakchat-tweetchat."

(Yeah, try saying that three times fast!)

"What's that?" I asked.

"O...M...G Judy! You haven't been to a Tweet Chat???"

Right then and there I felt utter exhaustion overcoming me. I pride myself in keeping up. I've emailed, faxed, FB-ed, tweeted, Skyped, Google Circled, IM-ed, SMS-ed, VM-ed, Vibered, Voxed, Airbnb-ed, Words With Friended, and I'm even a member of the Psychic Network. But apparently, that's not enough. There is something that I've been missing in my life.

I felt overwhelmed -- like I couldn't take a big enough breath for the oxygen this one more thing would need.

I took my dogs and walked out of my house. I ran into my neighbor, author and improv teacher, Andy Goldberg and his dog Barney. We talked about our frustrations, our work, our relationships, and our projects - and how there just isn't enough time for all the things we wish we could do.

We walked, we talked, we got some exercise, and I felt better. BUT -- I had to say goodbye -- because I didn't want to miss my first Tweet Chat.

After spending an hour watching people yack away with 140 characters or less, I realized that the highlight of my day was my conversation with Andy. There's nothing better than one-on-one talking, walking, and watching my dogs send and receive their "pee-mail."

We spend so much time trying to communicate with other people that it's easy to forget that it works a lot better in person. That applies to what you do in your career, too.

21 comments:

Here! Here! Judy! I'm in total agreement with you. I am starting next week to go on a virtual moratorium. Calling instead of emailing. Seeing in person instead of calling and the texting? I don't know yet. But it is becoming clearer and clearer to me, that I need to face to face contact with people to feel good with my day. Thanks for posting!

You're right Judy! Also, I just wanted to say...after so many years getting your emails and following tips from your books...that you're great at what you do. Keep up the great work! Your advice and suggestions still prove useful in my standup career. Thanks.

I totally agree. The face time still can beat anything.It's that human elemant. One of my quotes from my second book is "I twittered my facebook because I lost Myspace". Now there's this pinterest thing that the people at the site I'm writing my newest book on want me to join. Does it ever stop? How many ways are their to communicate through the computer?

Judy, you nailed it on this one! All this hyper "communicating" seems to be just a compulsive and need-based reaction to something, as though we are all going to "miss" some big thing we need to be in on... that never really shows up.

Is all of this e-speak social time-wasting actually achieving anything? Is there really any additional connection, or breakthrough intimacy or improved quality of relating coming from it? I don't think so.

My recent 10-day Facebook moratoruim made my life better, and I like it!

Judy: I so applaud your recent post about the value of face-to-face connection with people. It's become one of my pet peeves, acutally, the way so many people jump on any old cyber band wagon. I do acknowledge it's because of a deep human need for connection, but cyber connections aren't real. it simulates connection but it isn't the real thing. And in the end it leaves you cold instead of warm and fuzzy inside because there's no real intimacy. So thanks for saying what I have been thinking!

Yea, what happened to the good ol' days when you could actually ignore people's attempts at reaching you? I miss the days when people couldn't hunt me down by tower pings. Oh how I long to make a crank call and not be tattled on by caller ID.

Yea, what happened to the good ol' days when you could actually ignore people's attempts at reaching you? I miss the days when people couldn't hunt me down by tower pings. Oh how I long to make a crank call and not be tattled on by caller ID.

Yea, what happened to the good ol' days when you could actually ignore people's attempts at reaching you? I miss the days when people couldn't hunt me down by tower pings. Oh how I long to make a crank call and not be tattled on by caller ID.

Yea, what happened to the good ol' days when you could actually ignore people's attempts at reaching you? I miss the days when people couldn't hunt me down by tower pings. Oh how I long to make a crank call and not be tattled on by caller ID.

As a realtor, my manager is constantly insisting that we Facebook, Tweet, on and on. Today I skipped the office...again...and took a spring walk up and around Sunset and Vine. I had three splendid occasions to give out my Hollywood Realtor Gal card. I met the young man in charge of the new amphitheater on Homewood, complete with instant palm trees; chatted with Fabi at his Italian restaurant, and met a new neighbor, William, the illustrator, who will now help me with the permit parking issue. At 5:00, after writing another scene in my new novel, I will walk the neighborhood and meet and greet while passing out fun, iced Easter cookies. Of course, I will tell a few jokes along the way. Thank you, Judy, for giving me my voice!

Judy, You always taught me and others to never jam out comedy ideas by yourself, always talk with someone. The is one of the biggest truths about the creative process and something that we so often forget. Thanks for reminding us about the value of talking with friends. Here's to you!

I couldn´t agree more with you. I realized how absent i was in my relationships by only communicating only via social media.There is nothing like the face to face communication and there will never be. So i made some elections in my every day life. No What´s up, no facebook chat, skype only for the long distance friends conversations, no blackberry messenger. CONNECTED TO LIFE RATHER THAN HIPERCONNECTED TO VIRTUAL WORLD.Beso grande, Gi

I couldn´t agree more with you. I realized how absent i was in my relationships by only communicating only via social media.There is nothing like the face to face communication and there will never be. So i made some elections in my every day life. No What´s up, no facebook chat, skype only for the long distance friends conversations, no blackberry messenger. CONNECTED TO LIFE RATHER THAN HIPERCONNECTED TO VIRTUAL WORLD.Beso grande, Gi

So true. I love the interaction with others face-to-face at all levels. You said it so well.

I will admit that being able to Skype with my grandkids in Montana is gold. I've helped them with homework, seen their projects, listened to their viola concert, showed them how to cook dinner, and have watched their growth when we can't be there.

Welcome to my blog. I’ve created this to share insights, exercises, tips, and ideas to assist others in having a successful speaking career. I find that my Ah-Ha’s! have lead to “Ha-Ha’s.” This blog takes off where my books, "The Message of You" and “The Comedy Bible” end. I’m hoping that you will find some gems that you can use in your own career, and hopefully others will contribute their ideas and let me know when I’m full of it. Read on.

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